


New Heights

by HarryXIX



Category: One Direction
Genre: ? - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Barista Harry, Barista Louis, Coworkers - Freeform, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Gifts, Height difference, Humour, M/M, My First AO3 Post, No Smut, Sort Of, harrys like a bit of a twat about louis' height but its whatever, i fuckin tried, idk if this is classed as humour because only i find myself funny, literally im shit at writing why r u HERE, louis doesnt hate harry hes just salty that hes small, princess louis, small louis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 12:27:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15291534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarryXIX/pseuds/HarryXIX
Summary: The one where Louis is a short-ass, Harry thinks he's the funniest man alive and they fall in love between height jokes and chai latte.





	New Heights

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably trash with so many mistakes. If you want, leave Kudos and comments and all of that shit. I'm open to criticism because I know I'm not great. Please be constructive instead of "lmao ur shit" thank you xx

Whoever said Uni life was easy was a fucking liar. Louis had decided that much. When he wasn’t in class he was either in the library revising and doing his coursework to escape his loudmouth Irish roommate or working at the coffee shop at the corner of campus. Not that he didn’t like his work, he just got very  _ very  _ annoyed there. 

  


There was a hipster type there who always seemed to be there when Louis had a shift. His name was Harry and he was so tall it was unbelievable to Louis that anyone can be that height. He hated Harry, the arrogant ass who constantly seemed to talk down on Louis never seemed to give Louis a break about his height. He’s 5’9”, he can actually go on roller coasters! He just always knew how to get under his skin, be it to get the cups from the top of the shelf where they’re stacked when they open up the shop or when they’re working closing and have to put them back up there. Maybe it had been the proposal to buy Louis a stool for when Harry inevitably quit working there that had really tipped him over the edge about how he felt. It was so unfair how someone who looked like an ethereal being could be such a  _ fucking cunt _ . 

  


Obviously Louis had had his fair share of height jokes, when he was 4 and his aunt muttered about how he was going to be stuck under 6 foot for the rest of his life which “would be so unappealing to women, honestly” (jokes on her, he never managed to outgrow the ‘girls have cooties’ stage.) or when he was 16 and the kids on his football team used to call him the “princess” because while the rest of them had managed to scrape 5’10” in time for the new season, he was still bang on 5’6” with no real hope for growing much more than a few inches. He never escaped being the butt of the jokes when he left his hometown either, the minute that he entered uni someone told him that the secondary school was 2 blocks away and his trip with his drama class to a miniature village to understand some bullshit about set design had his friends snickering about “how there was finally a house that was the right size for him!”. So Louis didn’t like height jokes that much, having been subjected to them since he couldn’t even comprehend Roald Dahl. 

  


He wasn’t salty, honest. 

  


\-- -- 

  


He had another shift at the coffee shop right after his 3 o’clock lecture, he felt time drag around him the second he’d stepped into the stupid hall. What seemed to be an entire week of planning and reading caused an ache in his bones when they were finally dismissed. He dumped his bag off in his small dorm before setting off straight to work. He knew that when he got the time he needed to head to the library to pick up some revision for the lecture he’d missed yesterday. He may have been there physically but mentally he was thinking about tight tight jeans enclosing Bambi legs and the narcissistic prick they seemed to belong to. Louis vaguely recalls something about Hamlet so he debates taking a shot in the dark and just reading through the entire course to know what he’s doing for the rest of his degree. 

Before he knew it he was stepping into the backroom of the practically vacant coffee shop and putting on his apron. While mentally present he noticed the lack of curls and general hipster atmosphere had seemed to disappear. He didn’t like it one bit. 

  


See it wasn’t that Louis  _ hated  _ Harry, he just strongly disliked him, and his word choices, and fashion choices, and too pink lips, and half-open shirts. His lack of existence made Louis squirm though. He had grown accustomed to “C’mon short ass! Haven’t got all day!” or variations of the same comment being thrown around the second he entered the back room to get suited up for his shift. The fact that something he had grown so used to had vanished created something unsettling in his stomach. Whatever this feeling was, he knew it was irritating. 

  


Looking around for any other sign of the life in the small space made Louis notice the only other person was the moody kid from his vocals class. He was littered with tattoos and hadn’t even seemed to notice that Louis had come in yet. He took that of a sign of the other man being mentally resigned and just took a quick glance at the room before noticing a footstool. It was no more than 5 inches off the floor but the minute he saw  _ For Lou  _ printed in neat cursive above it he knew an unfairly attractive giant had still managed to get in his taunting without even being there. He knew that he couldn’t resist seeing what Harry had written and took the time to admire Harry’s impressive handwriting. 

  


_ Hey Lou,  _

  


_ Sorry, I’m not working closing with you for once but I know that the other guy working with you probably won’t help with you stacking the cups once you’re closed. I hope you like the stool! It’s got your name on it and everything, never say I’m not a thoughtful co-worker.  _

  


_ -Harry .xx _

  


Louis crumpled up the note. His name? He glanced at the school and saw a neatly engraved name.  _ “Little Louis”  _ with complementary butterflies and princess crowns surrounding it. He hated to admit that the thought was actually quite a nice thing, even if the intention is quite humiliating. Louis looked for the work schedule and saw Harry was working by himself at the weekend, the opening shift, perfect. 

  


\-- -- 

  


Louis hated that shift more than he cared to admit. Halfway through Zayn had begged Louis to let him go early because his boyfriend was sick and at this point, he knew he’d be useless because he’s worried sick. Louis may have been heartless but the little romantic in him knew that Zayn needed this desperately. Any chance at avoiding using the stool had gone out the window the second he flipped around the “ _ We’re open! _ ” sign and turned off the neon light in the window. He stacked up chairs and cleaned down sides and machines but the second he got the cups from the dishwasher he knew he’d have to drag that stupid stool from the back room to finish putting away the cups. The thought made him slightly agitated, knowing Harry could look at the camera footage and see Louis being forced to stack up cups on a pretty princess stool. He had actually attempted to put them away without the assistance but found that even on the very tips of his toes he was a good 3 inches away from the shelf. He hated Harry’s stupid taunt but the fact that he had to actually use the taunt made his feelings 10 times worse. 

  


He lugged the stool from the break room into the empty back area and stacked the cups as well as he could. Even with the extra help, he couldn’t properly see the shelf and he didn’t understand how someone hardly even 7 inches taller than him could do this effortlessly. He blames the boots, they made Harry even taller than he already was. He didn’t even need the heels, Louis bets Harry wears them just to make Louis look smaller by comparison. 

  


He heard the door creak open while he was just finishing on the cups and turned around to see a mess of curls walk in with a small laugh that he coughed into his hand. 

  


“I didn’t actually expect you to need that,” He giggled. Louis shook his head at the taller boy, taking the last of the cups from the side and placing them onto the high shelf before stepping down and closing the cupboard door. 

  


“We can’t all be 6 feet tall, sad really,” Louis commented, pushing the stool into the break room, knowing he’ll probably need it next time he doesn’t have a shift with Harry. When he walked out he saw Harry behind the counter punching in the code for the alarm.  

  


“I like you more knowing you’re not, I can’t imagine how intolerable you’d be if you had a growth spurt right now.” A smirk flickered across his face as he spoke. Louis couldn’t resist the temptation to roll his eyes at him. 

  


“I think I’d tolerate you more if I had a growth spurt, I immediately don’t like anyone who’s 4 inches taller than me,” Louis claimed. He couldn’t help it when he smiled at Harry afterward. Walking away from him and motioning for him to follow so Louis could lock up. 

  


“Can you even reach above the door to pull down the shutter?” Harry asked mockingly. He shot a glare at the giant and rotated the key in the lock, checking twice the door was locked before motioning to Harry to pull down the heavily graffitied shutter, knowing full well he couldn’t pull it if he jumped. “I feel like I should buy you a pair of platform shoes, you know the ones with 4-inch soles, just so you can actually reach things without assistance.” 

  


“While I like the thought I don’t think I could walk around with massive soles on my shoes knowing I look like a twat,” Louis retorted. 

  


They left it at that, if the second Louis got back to his flat he started looking at platforms, no one had to know. 

\-- -- 

Since Louis’ shift without Harry, there had been several more and each one somehow had resulted in him having to use the stupid stool Harry had gifted him. Louis refused to accept that the stool was genuinely useful for when he was opening and closing like he refused to accept the more Harry saw Louis when his shift was ending he saw Harry as more endearing. 

  


Louis did not like Harry. He refuses to believe that comments that had once agitated him had slipped into some weird form of banter shared between them. Louis had a feeling he was gone the second he stepped into the break room on a Sunday night and saw a box on the stool with the same “ _ For Lou _ ” style of note standing on top of it. 

  


_ Hey Lou,  _

  


_ When I saw you at the end of your shift the other day I noticed that you were still having trouble reaching the shelf. I know you said no to the platforms because you didn’t want to look like “a twat” so I thought I’d get you these instead.  _

  


_ -Harry .xx  _

  


Louis’ interest piqued. He opened the top of the box and saw a pair of high tops inside. The words “ _ Discreet heels _ ” was scribbled on the inner lid of the box. His heart didn’t flutter when he thought of how Harry had picked up on his issue again, it definitely didn’t. 

  


He took the shoes out of the box and saw they were a simple black and white pattern around the edge, He flipped the shoe over and saw that where the brand label would normally be the same “ _ Little Louis”  _ was scribed with crowns where the i’s dots belonged. He giggled lightly and placed the shoe next to his own, realising that they were the exact same size as the ones he was wearing at the moment. He shrugged and thought to ask Harry about it later, slipping off his Adidas trainers and slipping on the new high-tops, tying the laces and standing up he felt higher up and walked around, there was a slight discomfort that was probably the result of him never wearing heels but apart from that small fact, he felt more confident. 

  


\-- -- 

  


Louis’ shift passed quickly, the rush hour of morning eventually slowed into the drag of midday yet the way he was standing tall had helped any drop in mood he’d had. When Harry walked in at the end of the shift he smiled at him and resisted the urge to run over to him and hug the ever living shit out of him. Mainly because he hadn’t mastered the art of running in heels, he will though. One day.

  


Louis was midway making himself a latte to go when Harry walked to the counter. By now the place was a ghost town, with remnants of everyday life scattered everywhere yet no real signs of life to show for it. 

  


“What can I do for you today, sir?” Louis asked in his snootiest voice. 

  


“Hmmm, chai latte to go?” He responded, his voice raised slightly at the end making the demand sound enquiring. 

  


“You’re such a hipster,” Louis grinned. He didn’t know when he had begun to found him so captivating but even something as simple as Harry’s coffee order had made him feel smiley, he didn’t understand but at this point, he didn’t care to either. 

  


“I just realised, you’re wearing the heels!” He sounded so proud of himself if the dimpled grin was anything to go by he probably was. 

  


“Of course I’m wearing the heels, I never knew an extra few inches would make me feel more confident but here I am…” The end was sheepish and trailed off for a few moments. 

  


“So  _ ‘Little Louis’  _ is an acceptable apparel name?” Harry questioned. Louis shook his head, bringing over the freshly prepared lattes. 

  


“Why is that the name?” Louis groaned playfully. He took a swig of his latte and felt a burning sensation in his mouth. He grimaced slightly as him and Harry sat down to enjoy their drinks properly and wait for the next person on shift to appear. 

  


“I made the brand with you in mind, its purpose is to boost confidence while making life easier. You were my test subject and the main reason for the inspiration so I thought I’d name my coursework after you.” His smile was blinding as he spoke. The chai latte in his hand made him seem so effortlessly collected and Louis didn’t quite understand how. How did the forest green eyes combined with the all black outfit seem more controlled with the addition of the cup? Or was it Harry himself? Louis didn’t care to focus on his mind right now though, now when a pretty boy had admitted to naming his entire coursework after his coworker. 

  


“So what are you majoring in then?” Louis asked. A light blush had settled on his face as he crossed one leg over the other, he seemed to be unable to breathe in the tight-fitting trousers he’d chose to wear. 

  


“I major in graphics and design with a minor in photography. Once I’m done here I want to set up my own apparel store, I know I could also do all the photos for modeling and stuff which probably makes stuff cheaper too,” Harry answered awkwardly. Louis’ foot jittered along with the rest of him. He examined the crowns on the back of his heel until he noticed that on the sole there was also a little crown that said ‘princess’. He honestly wouldn’t mind being called princess by Harry. 

  


They spent the rest of the day conversing while Louis had minor heart palpitations whenever Harry opened his mouth. 

\-- -- 

  


Since Louis’ newly discovered confidence in discreet heels, they were inseparable. Where ever he was, the shoes had to be on his feet. His friends had called him ‘more tolerable’ (not that he had many, only Niall - the loudmouth roommate and Liam - the puppy-eyed sensible one). Harry thought the idea of Louis prancing around in something that was intentionally taking the piss was the best thing ever and had branded Louis as ‘Little Louis’ and when drunk may call him ‘princess’. Louis thought it was sweet, his friends thought it was disgusting how oblivious Louis was to Harry’s advances. 

  


“So what I’m hearing is this guy intentionally tries to improve your life with gifts, calls you pet names, meets with you once your shifts have ended and your entire relationship is strictly platonic?” He questioned when Louis was done spilling his guts. Louis rolled his eyes at whatever Niall was hinting at. 

  


“I mean I’d shag him but I don’t know if he feels the same? He’s a great guy but an amazing friend too and I don’t want to lose that,” Louis tried his best to explain. 

  


“He’s got you whipped~” Niall sang. Louis rolled his eyes and went to pull on his new favourite pair of shoes. “And where are you going?”    
  


“Work, Harry’s shift ends in 10 minutes,” Louis replied simply before going out and shutting the door behind him. 

  


\-- -- 

  


The small coffee shop was cool, with the summer’s temperature seeming to increase forever, the feeling of a cold blast made Louis shiver from pleasure. The smell of coffee immediately hit him as he made his way towards the bar, mid-left of the cosy store. 

  


“Oh, Harold!” Louis yelled as he practically skipped towards the bar. He saw a small coffee cup off to the side, noting it said “LL” on it. He smiled warmly. 

  


“Hey, Lou.” His grin stretched across his whole face, a childlike innocence played in the green of his eyes. He was so dazzling it hurt. He set the cup atop the bar when Louis dug into his pocket to pay when Harry just tutted at him. “It’s on the house this time.” 

  


“This time?” Louis pouted. He and Harry never gave each other free coffee unless the other wanted something. Louis wanted another pair of those shoes and paid Harry in coffee and Harry needed someone to help him with his revision on the night of a massive exam. 

  


“One condition though,” He added. He sounded somewhat smug and it caused a sort of pit in his stomach. 

  


“Isn’t there always?” Louis snorted, holding his tongue between his teeth as he waited for the terms of free coffee. 

  


“Date me.” 

  


“What?” Louis asked, he nearly lost the grip on his coffee at Harry’s words. “I mean, I’d love to but like, what?” 

  


“I think I said it pretty clearly the first time,” He mumbled awkwardly. 

  


“Wait, hang on for a second, I mean I like one hundred percent will Haz, don’t worry about that. It was just a bit blunt,” Louis said. His breathing was stuttering like he couldn’t believe that Harry had said that. Probably because he couldn’t. 

  


Louis sipped his latte in silence while he gathered his thoughts. A date? He hadn’t dated anyone since that older Grimmy guy he met in the alley of a dodgy pub.  _ Probably not my best idea.  _

  


“You know, to date me, you have to actually take me on a date right?” Was what finally came out of Louis’ mouth. 

  


“I think I’m already one step ahead there, Friday at 7 good?” Harry responded eagerly. You could feel the anticipation sneaking under his skin and out of his eyes. Louis nodded slowly, another sip of the latte didn’t simmer the buzz currently fleeting through his body but instead made it more present. The thought of a date with the boy who was constantly mocking created something akin to warmth but burning within his stomach. Whether it was the fury of reminiscing or the general presence of Harry that was overtaking his senses had him grinning but grimacing. Remembering Harry’s mocking made him feel submissive in the best way possible. No matter how many height jokes he would continue to make, they no longer seemed to contain malice but a light-hearted fondness would lay in their wake.

  


“See you then.” He added a small smug smirk on for good measure. Harry quickly exited to the backroom to take off his apron as Louis waited. Friday was only 2 days away and that had Louis buzzing with anxiety and excitement. 

  


\-- -- -- 

  


The date ended up being everything Louis didn’t expect but somehow wanted. At a little hipster cafe downtown, they shared warm hot chocolate and cherry tarts with soft acoustic guitars playing at their ears. They sat on the swings of a park and just existed. Speaking softly under the sunset glow that lit up their eyes, watching as day turned to night. Harry saw the way Louis’ eyes seemed to glow under starlight while Louis saw the way the sunset caught the contours of Harry’s face. Together under the seemingly everlasting night sky, they were a masterpiece. A mess of scarlet flushed cheeks, rough bitten lips and forever linked hands. 

  


They giggled on their way up to the dorms. Reminiscing on the night before it was even over, laughing at the man fighting with the seagulls over his chips, the kid at the park who had been convinced Harry was some sort of rozzer when he was caught having a fag even though he seemed about 14 and the overall pleasures. The small things like the near emptiness of the coffee shop they had ended up in, the fact that since the swings their hands had hardly separated, the beauty of the park’s green as the sun sunk below an array of trees. 

  


Then they came to Louis’ door, they didn’t want the night to end at all. Louis wished Niall wasn’t in the flat so he could convince Harry to stay but the second he heard the clattering of pans from his messy flatmate the hope that Harry could stay had vanished. Harry’s dorm was too small for both of them, while Louis had a double bed that he had ordered in after complaining that ‘even at his height his feet dangled off the edge’ Harry was stuck with the shitty singles provided. 

  


“I honestly had the best time tonight,” Louis whispered from next to his door, he was slouched against the wall with Harry in front of him. His voice couldn’t rise from above a whisper, he didn’t want to let anyone from outside their HarryandLouis bubble know about tonight. This was theirs to love and cherish, theirs to reflect on. 

  


“You’re so pretty Lou,” Harry’s voice returned lowly. It was raspy and still somewhat difficult to understand even in the dead silent corridor. He couldn’t help but smile. 

  


“That’s why I’m a princess right?” His reply was quick. A cheeky tone that had Harry rolling his eyes when he looked down. Louis’ smile was blinding, his eyes flashing as he fluttered his eyelashes sarcastically. So so pretty. 

  


“Wish you were my princess though.” The words were out before they fully registered in his mind. He felt his heart drop out of his ass as he realised what he’d just proposed. He knew he said he wanted to date Louis back at the shop a few days ago but saying it and asking for it are two very different things. 

  


“Always be your princess,” Louis finally responded. They hung in the air and Harry couldn’t hold it anymore. His hand tucked under the other’s head, forcing them to look each other in the eyes. Even with the heels, Harry was still a good 3 or so inches taller, if Louis was taller than him the universe would shatter. Their faces closing in together. It wasn’t a crash or a spark or a firework like all the fanfictions describe. Not a buzz or this feeling of being whole again. It was soft and passionate, it reminded Louis of cinnamon candles with home-cooking, messy floors and cups of coffee over messy desks. This feeling of home was lying on  _ pinkpinkpink _ lips that tasted like everything Louis needed. 

  


They pulled away when the short breath came. The quiet crash of the hallway surrounding them. 

  


“Goodnight Harry, text me?” Louis asked. His blue eyes settled over Harry's face, this glint of hope that dusted across every available piece of skin he could see under the shitty university lights. 

  


Harry nodded and went towards his dorm, not about to be a typical teenager and sink down his door in ecstasy, he decided on the other typical teenager route and grabbed a cold shower. Louis was a fucking great kisser. 

  


\-- -- -- 

  


If a few years down the line Harry did end up with his own fashion line called ‘Princess’ and Louis owned a coffee shop called LL, if Louis was so incessant on needing the heels until he was in his early 30s and even wore them down the aisle of his wedding, if the wedding invitations were dotted with princess crowns and pink love hearts and all the same symbols as the stool Harry had given him years prior. 

  


Well, it was whatever. 


End file.
